Grinder



March 4, 1952 E. MARGOLIN 2,588,025

GRINDER Filed April 27, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET l l F/g/ IN V EN TOR.

42 35 [d/Mm Maya/M BY ii/ March 4, 1952 E. MARGOLIN 2,588,025

GRINDER Filed April 27, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 34 INVENTOR.

[award Mzqga/z'zz ,4 Harvey Patented Mar. 4, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRINDER Edward Margolin, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application April 27, 1949, Serial N 0. 89,849

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to electricallyoperated motor-driven grinding machines or pulverizers, and more particularly to that type of grinder which is used to reduce food-particles ofa generally large size to small finely-divided particles.

More particularly, the present invention relates to a grindin machine of the type adapted togrind coffee-beans into the granulated form necessary for use in coffee-percolators, coiiee-pots or the like.

Even more specifically, the present invention resides in a coffee-grinder electric motor-driven grinding-elements which are set in operation when a receptacle such as a paper cofiee-carton or bag of more-or-less standard form used in the retail selling of a pound of coffee is inserted into the filling position on the machine; said machine continuing in operation as long as the bag is held in place against the machine.

It has long been known, and there are various means disclosed whereby coffee-grinders or foodpulverizers, similar to the grinder of the present invention, may be electrically and semi-automatically operated. Thus, there are disclosures showing means whereby a grinder will continue to operate as long as any unground material remains in the hopper or compartment designed to receive said unground material. In addition, there are grinders shown wherein a hand-operated switch or button may be actuated whereby the machine will be set in operation. Many and other varied forms of motor-actuating devices are disclosed, all of which have an inherent defect in that the motor-actuating switches which set the grinding-machine in operation are remote from and disassociated from the bag, box or compartment adapted to receive the pulverized or ground material. In the prior forms, the machine could be set in operation independently of the position of the container adapted to receive the pulverized material; this resulting in unnecessary waste when the carton or container was not properly placed beneath, or in juxtaposition to, the delivery-spout of the machine, whereby the pulverized material would bescattered about, allto a loss of the customer or the salesman.

- The present invention contemplates a switchmeans which will be actuated when, and only when, the pulverized-food-product receiving-container is in proper position to receive the pulverized material from the machine. f: I

A further object of the present invention isto provide a switch-means which requires extremely little pressure to operate, so that the switchmeans may be actuated by the relatively light pressure of the upper edge of the thin paper bag against the switch means. I

Other objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent in the followin detailed description, appended claims and accompanying drawings.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout:

Figure 1 represents a front elevational view oi a grinding-machine of the present invention with the material-receiving container heldin operative position thereagainst.

Figure 2 represents a top plan view, partly in cross-section, showing the relative disposition of the switch-actuating means and the material-delivery spout.

Figure 3 represents a front elevational view of the micro-switch of the present invention showing the switch-actuating arm in its inoperative position.

Figure 4 represents a, vertical cross-sectional view generally along lines 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 represents a schematic view of the electrical connections between the switch means and the electrical motor used to drive the grinder.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown a coffee-grinding machine of a generally standard structure and construction; these particular drawings referring to a coffee-grinder of the type manufactured by the Enterprise Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and generally referred to as their model No. 6303. The

grinder generally consists of a frameorhousin'g 20 which is rectangular in shape andwh iclfi'is adapted to conceal the operating mechanism placed therewithin. The housing 20 is supported on a base 21 and has a cover 22 constructedIa'nd arranged in the form of a tapering hopper lik'e material-receiving portion 23, into whichtheunground material may be placed- The hopper 23 converges in a downward direction and terminates in a small discharge openin 24 whichis positioned above a material-receiving.mouth portion 25 of the grinder 26.

' or bar which is adapted to slip over or be The grinder 26 may be supported within the housing 28 on the base 2|, as by one or more supports 21.

The grinder 26 is a generally self-contained unit consisting on an inlet passageway 28, a drive-shaft 29, a worm-type feeding mechanism 39 and a plurality of pulverizing teeth 3|; all of which is shown more or less schematically in Figure 4. The drive-shaft 29, attached to the feed screw 30, is revolvably journaled within the grinder 26 and is attached at one end to an electrical motor 26-11. The grinder 26 may have a portion 32 thereof extending beyond the housing whereby adjustments may be made in the position of the grinding mechanism to provide varying sizes of pulverized material; and controls being accessible without the necessity for dismantling the entire coffee-grinder. The motor 26-a is connected to a source of electrical power in a series-arrangement with a small microswitch 33.

The micro-switch 33 has a spring-type contact arm 34 attached thereto at one end and a contact-button 35 operatively disposed in operative relation to the spring-arm 34. In the inactive position (shown particularly in Figure 3) the spring-arm 34 is tensioned away from and out of contact with the button 35. However, when the spring-arm 34 is moved upwardly (as is shown particularly in Figure 1) the spring-arm 34 contacts the button 35, closing the electrical circuit to the motor 26-a and permitting the motor to operate as long as the spring arm 34 is held in operative contact with the button 35.

When the motor 26-a is operating, the unpulverized material passes from the hopper 23 into the receiving portion 25 of the grinder 23 and through the passageway 28 therein. Thereafter the rotating worm 38 feeds the raw material into the toothed grinding-portion 3| of the grinder 26, whereby it is ground to a predetermined size, according to the position of the variable control 32. The desired fineness of the pulverized material may be regulated by suitable adjustment of that control-portion 32 of the grinder 28 which extends beyond the housingportion 29 of the machine. After the raw-material is thoroughly ground, the centrifugal action of the machine forces the pulverized material through the discharge passageway 35, past the restraining-door or gate 31 and into the discharge spout 38.

As is shown particularly in Figure l, a carton, bag or other receiving container 39 may be held with its open end against the lower end of the spout 38 whereby the pulverized material will be discharged from the spout 38 into the bag 39.

In order to close the micro-switch 33 and permit the motor 26-a to operate, an extension-arm 49, generally s-shaped (as is shown particularly in Figure 2), is afiixed to the spring-arm 34 of the micro-switch 33. This extension-arm 49 protrudes through an aperture 4| in the housing 23, behind the discharge spout 38 and beneath the discharge passageway 36 and rest-raining door 31. The aperture 4| through which the contact arm 49 extends may have a shock-absorbing bushing or sleeve 42 surrounding it. The extension-arm 49 may be constructed of a generally tubular rod fastened to the spring-contact arm 34, at its inner end 43. The outer end 44 may be flattened in a horizontal plane, whereby to present a bag-contacting surface of greater area. The construction of this extension arm 40 is shown quite clearly in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The outer end 44 of the contact arm 49 is positioned adjacent the rear tapered under-portion 45 of the discharge spout 38 in such a manner whereby it will be engaged by the upper edge 46 of the bag or container 39 when the bag 39 is lifted up into an enveloping and receiving position around the lower edge of the discharge spout 38. In this manner the upper edge 46 of the bag 39 strikes the end 44 of the extension arm 40 causing it to urge the spring-contact arm 34 of the micro-switch 33 against the contact button 35. This action permits the closing of the electrical circuit (as is shown particularly in Figure 5) causing the motor 26-a to operate. Quite obviously the motor will operate as long as the micro-switch is closed and the micro-switch will remain in electrically-closed position as lon as the extension arm 44 is held in the elevated position by the bag 39.

It is obvious that the operation of the grinder may be controlled by the positioning of the has against the spout 33 and arm 49 and conversely, the grinder will not operate as long as the bag is not held in material-receiving position beneath the spout 33.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

When it is desired to pulverize a quantity of -material such as a bag or container filled with unground coffee-beans or the like, the container 39 may be opened and the contents thereof placed within the hopper 23 and fed thereby into the receiving-spout 25 of the grinders 25. At this stage of the operation, the container 39 is empty and, through its open upper end 45, is available to receive the pulverized contents of the machine. Then the control-portion 32 of the grinder 25 may be adjusted so that the grinder will produce the desired fineness of the pulverized material, whereafter the bag 39 may be placed beneath the tapered lower portion 45 of the discharge .spout 38 and lifted upwardly. As the bag 39 is raised, the upper edge 48 comes into contact with the flat end 44 of the extension member 40 and lifts it against the tensioning-action of the spring-contact member 34. This lifting action of the arm 49 and the spring-member 34 actuates the microswitch 33 and causes the grinder to operate. The grinder will pulverize the coffee-beans and discharge the ground material through the passageway 33 and the discharge spout 38 into the bag or container 39. This pulverizing action continues as long as the bag 39 is held against the extension arm 40 regardless of the quantity of unground material remaining in the hopper 23. Thus, the operator, by simple movement of the container 39 can control the grinding-period of the machine with the same motion that presents the material-receiving container 39 in operative position with the machine. Quite obviously, any pulverized material will pass through the spout 38 and directly into the container 39 so that there is no wasted material. Moreover, the bag 39 may be kept in place against the spout 38 and the contact arm 48 just as long as there is unpulverized material within the hopper 23 or within the grinder 26 and, as soon as the grinding-operation is concluded, the bag may be lowered and the machine will automatically shut off.

It is obvious that the machine will not start until the container 39 is in the material-receiving position and will stop its operation as soon as the bag or container 39 is removed. Therefore, in addition to being a positive means for preventing the loss or waste of any pulverized material, it also affords an eflicient means of operating the grinder 26 and the motor 26-a whereby the grinder and motor will not be in operation when there is no unground material in the hopper 23 or the grinder 26; thus saving wear and tear on the machine as well as saving cost of wasted electrical energy.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect the following:

1. A coffee grinder including a housing, an electric motor operatively supported within said housing, a raW-materials-receiving hopper disposed generally within said housing, a grinder operatively connected to said motor within said housing, said grinder having an inlet passageway adapted to receive the raw materials from said hopper, a discharge nozzle including a discharge passageway extending from said grinder through and beyond said housing and terminating in a downwardly projecting spout spaced from a vertical surface of said housing, a switch operatively interposed in the electric circuit of said motor, a switch operating arm operatively connected to said switch and having a portion extending into the space between said vertical surface and said discharge nozzle beneath said discharge passageway and above the lower end of said spout to enease and be moved slightly upwardly by a portion of the upper edge of a bag surrounding the lower end of said spout, thereby to actuate said switch, said arm being disposed at all times wholly outside the bag during operative engagement therewith.

2. A coffee grinder including a housing, an electric motor operatively supported within said housing, a raw-materials-receiving hopper disposed generally within said housing, a grinder operatively connected to said motor within said housing, said grinder having an inlet passageway adapted to receive the raw materials from said hopper, a discharge nozzle including a discharge passageway extending from said grinder through and beyond said housing and terminating in a downwardly projecting spout spaced from a vertical surface of said housing, a switch operatively interposed in the electric circuit of said motor, a switch operating arm operatively connected to said switch and having a portion extending into the space between said vertical surface and said discharge nozzle beneath said discharge passageway and above the lower end of said spout to engage and be moved slightly upwardly by a portion of the upper edge of a bag surrounding the lower end of said spout, thereby to actuate said switch, said arm being disposed at all times wholly outside the bag during operative engagement therewith, and said housing being constructed and arranged with no portion thereof projecting beneath said spout.

EDWARD MARGOLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,764,700 Speilman et al June 17, 1930 1,764,760 Soule June 17, 1930 1,782,296 Goldstein Nov. 18, 1930 2,090,634 Meeker Aug. 24, 1937 2,309,246 Henry Jan. 26, 1943 

